Santa, you Rock Star, Wii Love You

Christmas morning was at Kim and Dave's(Keith's sister and her husband) and we kicked off with some traditional cinnamon rolls and coffee. Christmas dinner consisted of an amazing spiral-cut ham with a sweet, mustardy glaze, twice-baked potatoes(with bacon!),broccoli-rice casserole, Keith's Emerilized Green-Bean Casserole and finally, the much-vaunted Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake. Otis the French bulldog watched and waited for scraps.

This cake was first made for me by Keith and has quickly became one of my favorites. It has been my birthday cake quite often. Keith made this one at our home and we took it to Jeff City. Dave iced it at Keith's parents home on Christmas Eve. The cake's journey to it's final serving spot was beginning to feel like the movie Wages of Fear(later remade as Sorcerer). In that film, a truck full of nitroglycerin is transported through harrowing conditions and is a real nerve-jangler. We kept balancing the cake across snow and icy conditions and was sure it would topple at some point. The cake remained intact and was as delicious as ever.

It was all about the kiddies on Christmas morning, of course. Santa was a total rock star to all of us but the kids as usual, scored big. Tanner and Sierra had earned this after all by leaving Santa cookies and leaving treats outside for the reindeer. The treats consisted of oats, sprinkles and sparkle so the reindeer could see them. Scrapbooks, BB guns(you'll shoot your eye out!),digital cameras and LEGOs were all wlcome presents but the most popular gift was the arrival of the Great and Powerful Wii. Yes, the kids got the Wii complete with games including Cooking Mama and Wii Fit for Mom and Dad. Wii bowling and tennis ruled the afternoon...and yeah, we became instant converts. Wii bowling is the bee's knees. I actually felt the body strain after a few games but thankfully didnt throw a hip. There was one aspect of We and the Wii I refused to participate in....the Wii Fit assessment. Nothing says happy holidays like getting publicly humilated by a cartoon Wii character saying,"You, sir, are obese. You are hopeless and should simply go to the nearest corner and curl up into a ball with your only friend...that chocolate-chip carrot cake you've been dreaming about all morning."


The highlight of the day was being asked to be included in a family picture with everybody. I wish I could say that the sentiment was enough to ensure an excellent picture but as usual everyone else looked flawless and I seemed be trying to imitate Gollum from Lord of the Rings. Nevertheless, I'm officially in the family photo....and that was my rock star moment, for sure.